Palm Coast Parkway bridge widening on horizon

Plans are under way to widen the bridge over Interstate 95 and ease the flow of traffic along one of the busiest areas of the Palm Coast Parkway.

TONY HOLTSTAFF WRITER

PALM COAST — Plans are under way to widen the bridge over Interstate 95 and ease the flow of traffic along one of the busiest areas of the Palm Coast Parkway.That section of highway frequently gets congested during rush hour. City officials hope widening it from four to six lanes is a way to make commutes easier for motorists.In anticipation of the expansion project, the city of Palm Coast has made moves to purchase property along Palm Coast Parkway between Cypress Point Parkway and Florida Park Drive.City Council members are scheduled to vote on the rights of way property purchases during tonight's meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center. The widening project, which will cover a 1.2-mile section of the parkway, has been in the planning stages for more than a decade. As of today, the cost of the project has been $1.6 million, with $1.3 of it being paid by the Florida Department of Transportation. The city has paid for the remainder.A year ago, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported the total cost of the project would be about $10.1 million and would mostly be funded by state and federal dollars.The purchase of the five parcels of land along the highway will cost the city nearly $95,000, said Carl Cote, the city's project manager, during a public workshop last week.The parcels expected to be purchased by the city include one in front of Wells Fargo at the east end of the project and one in front of Dunkin Donuts to the west. In all, 366 trees will be removed during the construction but 419 new trees will be planted, according to the city. The bridge across I-95 was built to accommodate future construction and in 2004 the City Council adopted the Palm Coast 2020 Comprehensive Plan, which included the lane-widening project. The design phase was approved in 2010 and the final design plans were submitted in January.Construction will begin in the fall. The widening project is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2015, according to the city. The overpass, once construction is completed, will include sidewalks for pedestrians and bicyclists on either side. The sidewalks will include concrete barriers for protection.